Policies on lunch supervision for reception children

[susyp]

I know I sound (am being) quite neurotic about this whole lunch thing now that my daughter has started school - but today the reception year in my daughter's school went to the school hall for the first time for their lunch - and for a period they were definitely left alone to eat their lunches(aside from the normal canteen assistants) - and my daughter (who always finishes her lunch last) was on her own and then got lost trying to find her classroom and had to ask the way. We have a reception meeting with the staff tomorrow - was going to ask what is the policy over lunch - but I have no idea what is usual. Does this experience sound right? Just seems a bit harsh for a 4 year old to be left alone eating her lunch in a school hall and then to be left to find her own way back to her classroom?!

susypx

[suzisoo]

As a teaching assistant we all do a lunchtime duty in the dinner halls and playground. At no time would children be left unattended ( serving staff do not supervise the children). In fact our new reception children have extra staff on duty to get them used to the routine, and we are always around to check they have eaten their food. Also they are all led out to the playground together so no one goes astray. Check with your daughter again to make double sure she was left on her own, she may have gone off by herself and panicked when she couldn't find her way. If she is adamant she was left on her own, then you need to go into the school and ask them what happened.

[melbourne groover]

My daughter was always last for all of reception and most of year one but seems to have finally stepped up her game now. The slow ones do get to know the lunch ladies though!

[susyp]

She was definitely eating on her own for a time - I think that there was one TA working across all the reception tables - so I assume supervised to some extent - but another friend's child was in tears the whole lunch as there was no-one to open his cereal bar - she is pretty upset of course - so it's a bit of a mixed picture. But my daughter is quite clear that everyone went back to the classroom as they finished and that she was on her own trying to find her way and had to ask bigger children who then took her there.

Ok will ask at the meeting tomorrow - feel that I may as well raise it in front of all the parents so that we can pin down exactly what did happen and what should be happening.

susyp

[susyp]

She's not that bothered about being last I don;t think - a bit sad - but not overly upset! I also found out they are making them eat all their lunch before letting them go - so I put a note in today for her to show to say that she didn't have to if she was full!

susypx

[dulwichgirl2]

Sorry but the teachers need to supervise the children and you need to check politely what's happened here and whether there were a teacher in the background etc. if not, complain immediately as that is absolutely unacceptable, even before you get into the "getting lost on the way back" aspect. I know many teachers and none would leave a child like this so I find it all quite extraordinary. Speak to the school head if necessary.

[susyp]

thank you for all the advice. She is so tired it is v hard to work out what is going on but definitely there was no adult sitting with her. I think the reception classes were spread over several tables but she said that they were not all near each other - so even if the teachers were sitting with the other children they were not near to the table my daughter was on. And she was not sitting with my friend's son who by all accounts bawled all the way through lunch as he couldnt open his favourite cereal bar -so clearly he didn't have a teacher on his table either.

I always have to check I am being reasonable before reacting as I HATED school so have to make sure I don't bring my preconceptions when dealing with teachers!!

susypx

[Fuschia]

Teachers are not expected to supervise pupils at lunch time, most schools employed midday supervisors specifically or deploy teaching assistants. Having said that, reception teachers may eat lunch with the children at first.

There should be staff available to help them

Choose food, supervise eating, help them

Clear their trays etc and then supervise the playground.

[Fuschia]

Though IME small children get muddled easily, it's always worth clarifying exactly what has a

Happened before getting cross about it

[nunheadmum]

The other side of the coin - I would love a bit more encouragement from the staff for my daughter to eat more at lunchtime but they don't seem to do it at our school. She's a slow eater too but often tells me she didn't finish her meal because she wanted to go out and play with her friends. But I'd love it if someone just encouraged her to eat a bit more as she's ravenous by hometime which I'm sure isn't good for learning. Over time I think she's getting a bit quicker as she gets older and realises the link between what she eats and getting hungry later but it's taken 2 years.

It would be good to clarify at your meeting what the policy is and what may or may not have happened - leaving reception kids crying or on their own does sound harsh. But also bear in mind that school is a different environment and they don't always have the staff ratio to provide the support that we may have been used to in the nursery environment. Things do happen that seem totally wrong when you're new to it with little ones. I was indignant so many times in reception. But the kids do soon learn the ropes and what does and doesn't work - it's part of the process. It's really hard at the start but they're no worse the wear for it in the long term. (And I speak as a parent of a 6 year old who won't say boo to a goose, still can't open a cereal bar but I can see has grown in confidence in small strides due to controlled challenges that she faces at school that I would probably never have managed to set for her by myself.)

[susyp]

Yes agreed. I was just going to ask what the arrangements were, and say that I got the impression from my daughter that they were not supervised either in the hall or on their return journey. I'll be too intimidated in front of 300+ parents to get cross about it!! LUckily my friend who's son cried is also going to ask so I know I will have some back up (or vice versa). And if it did happen like that I can't be the only parent who's heard about it.

Susypx

[susyp]

Also my daughter is super proud that she asked for help when she got lost. She said excuse me and everything! But I don;t really like the idea of her wandering around not knowing where she is! And i definitely don;t like her eating alone as she does still choke and also has an (not dangerous) allergy - it's not a problem if she eats cheese or whatever but it does help if I know about it so I can treat her before bedtime or she wakes up with chronic wind.

susypx

[Pickle]

I feel for you Susyp, the thought of my eldest in a noisy manic lunch hall when he started reception was the thing that worried me the most about him starting school. At my kids school (I now have one in reception and one year 1) the classroom teachers and TA's accompany them to lunch for the first 2ish weeks, and certainly it's happening as my daughter gave me a blow by blow account of what her teacher ate for lunch today :)

They are walked there and back, and eventually will be left to do the walk back by themselves.

My son (quite a quiet boy) related stories of missing out on pudding "because a big boy ran past me and I dropped it", and getting lost on the way back to class in his first few weeks at school and it broke my heart. He was also the slowest at eating. However he quickly got into the routine of it all and lunch is a highlight in his day. He loves the dinner ladies and lunch supervisors.

I found he got much better at eating faster, at home too, which is great. It's cute listening to him giving his little sister advice on how the lunch process works - although she's made of much tougher stuff so hasn't been phased at all.

Have a word with the teachers, hopefully you will get reassurance and your daughter will quickly settle into school life.

P x

[The Nappy Lady]

Also, ask if you can have lunch there one day. At Ivydale you can pay about ?2 to the office before 9.30am and then pop in at lunchtime to eat with you child. It's a really interesting experience and helps you to see both sides of the story. It is pretty hectic and I was surprised how quickly I was in, fed & out, but then agsin there are masses of children to be fed so they do need to keep things moving.

I think most schools offer parents this option.